JULIE DRAKE, Valley Press Staff Writer

June 28, 2005

Distribution center to bring 350 new jobs

Also in the Fox Field Industrial Corridor, Rite Aid operates a 1-million square-foot facility that occupies 80 acres and employs 1,000 workers, while Michaels has constructed a 750,000-square-foot facility that employs 300 workers on a 40-acre site. The latter was expanded from an original building that covered 435,000 square feet.

LANCASTER - The SYGMA Network Inc. announced plans to hire as many as 350 workers at its new distribution center in the Fox Field Industrial Corridor. The firm will more than double the size of its facility and raise the number of jobs from the previously announced plan.

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The board of directors of SYGMA, the nation's largest food service supplier, approved the second phase expansion of its Lancaster distribution center last month, before the first phase was completed. Instead of the 110,000-square-foot facility. At full capacity, SYGMA will hire as many as 350 workers. The state-of-the-art distribution facility is on a 20-acre site at 47th Street West and Avenue G.

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SYGMA officials reported they made the decision to expand their plans for three reasons: the cooperative attitude of city officials, the favorable economics of building on a larger scale and a growing awareness of local opportunities to increase the volume of business.

Once complete, the 239,000-square-foot distribution center will add approximately $19 million to the city's tax roles, the mayor added. SYGMA provides food and supplies to the restaurant industry. its customers include Wendy's, Panda Express, Subway, Panera Bread and Olive Garden. The firm has 17 distribution facilities in the United States, including two others in California, in Stockton and Rancho Cucamonga. The business has annual sales in excess of $3.5 billion. The parent company, SYSCO, is a Fortune 100 company that does approximately $30 billion in sales.

Also in the Fox Field Industrial Corridor, Rite Aid operates a 1-million square-foot facility that occupies 80 acres and employs 1,000 workers, while Michaels has constructed a 750,000-square-foot facility that employs 300 workers on a 40-acre site. The latter was expanded from an original building that covered 435,000 square feet.